UTSA players including quarterback Eric Soza (08) high-five the crowd after their victory against Texas A&M-Commerce at the Alamodome on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012. The Roadrunners defeated the Lions, 27-16. Over 30,000 were in attendance.

Photo By Kin Man Hui/Express-News

UTSA's Eric Soza (8) scrambles from Texas A&M-Commerce's Shaquelle Massey (22) at the Alamodome on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012. The Roadrunners defeated the Lions, 27-16. Over 30,000 were in attendance.

Photo By Kin Man Hui/Express-News

UTSA's Eric Soza (8) celebrates a touchdown with receiver Kenny Harrison (18) against Texas A&M-Commerce in the first half at the Alamodome on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012.

Soza may even know some of those fans personally, considering he was a part of the Texas State program for one fleeting season back in 2009.

“I want that dome to be packed,” said Soza, a junior from Beeville. “That's what college football is all about. I want them to have as many fans as they can bring. I know that Roadrunner Nation is going to outdo them pretty heavily because of the fan support we have here. But I think it's going to be a great atmosphere.”

The atmosphere promises to be electric for a number of reasons.

First, you have the proximity of the two campuses, separated by 45 miles of Interstate 35.

Also, you have the history of three decades of competition between the schools in other sports.

Finally, you have a headline player such as Soza, who has been a student on both campuses, playing a prominent part in the first UTSA-Texas State football game.

Soza expressed mild disappointment to hear that it might be 2016 before the next game is scheduled.

“In every other sport they have that long rivalry,” he said. “It's good for both of our communities. There's a lot of love-hate relationship between us.”

Without a doubt, UTSA fans love it that Soza decided to leave Texas State in 2010.

Since then, the quarterback has stabilized the fledgling UTSA program with his mastery of the offense under coach Larry Coker.

With the Bobcats, he was second on the depth chart and had never taken a snap when he decided to leave. He said he doesn't have any hard feelings about his departure.

Playing in nine of 11 games this season, the son of Alice High School coach Chris Soza has thrown for 1,885 yards and has rushed for 267 more.

He has accounted for 22 touchdowns, 17 of them passing.

Most impressively, he has hit for a 59.9 percent completion rate while throwing 234 consecutive passes without an interception — the longest streak in the nation.

His one and only interception this year came in the fourth quarter of a season-opening victory at South Alabama.

“You know what that takes?” Coker asked rhetorically. “It takes a very smart quarterback and guys running proper routes. Also, protection is key. I tell you, Kevin has done an excellent job with him. Eric knows where to go with the ball.”

Even though Soza attracts a large share of the media attention at UTSA, his teammates don't seem to mind because of his commitment to winning.

When Soza sat out two games in October with a hip fracture, he attended early-morning practices every day, dressed out in pads.

He could be seen running through the lines of players during warmups, executing flying body bumps, injured hip and all.

Soza continued to attend every meeting, taking copious notes in a spiral notebook, just as he always has.

Coker said last month that it was “huge” to have Soza fully engaged in team activities during his rehabilitation.

Said the coach: “It hasn't been a deal of ‘Eric, you need to be here. You need to be the cheerleader. You need to do this. You need to do that.' It's just him. You don't have to tell him that. He just knows that.”

Soza shrugged and said he has never considered typing out his notes or using modern technology to study the game.

Hand-written notes have always worked for him.

“It just helps me remember more,” he said. “That's always been my studying technique. You write it down and you have to think about it. You write it. You see it. And it's a three-way go (after you practice it).”

Other UTSA players see the total commitment, and they follow the quarterback's lead.